BY RYAN O'CONNOR

The Bedford High School girls varsity soccer team – freshmen and sophomores only – was playing in its first-ever game. Its opponent, Milford, reached last year’s Class I quarterfinals and was the 2005 runner-up.

With that knowledge, a Bedford loss seemed on the menu, but the Lady Bulldogs took a bite out of conventional wisdom.

In addition to playing the first competitive sports contest in Bedford High School history, the game also christened the school’s new outdoor field.

And the locals made it an event to remember with a 2-1 overtime victory.

“It was a great first match at this field, and I’m just really proud to be a part of that and to be a part of what the girls did here today,” said head coach Michelle Winning. “It has been an all-around great day for the town, a great day for the school and for these kids.”

Though Milford scored first on a free kick at 34:01, Bedford’s girls didn’t take long to show their foes they wouldn’t be pushovers, despite their relative youth.

The Lady Bulldogs responded, 21 seconds later, when sophomore Sarah Sullivan, on the far left side of the field, fed Sarah Kelley at the top of the penalty box. She beat Milford’s goalkeeper with a laser-beam shot to the lower right side of the net.

After a scoreless second half, a little more than three minutes into overtime, Kirsten Jean centered the ball to Colleen Murray, whose 18-yard shot sailed over the keeper’s head and under the crossbar, giving Bedford High School its historic first victory.

Murray, who played last year for West High School in Manchester, said she wasn’t thinking about history, she just wanted to get her team off  the field and out of the 95-degree weather.

“It feels great, but I just wanted to end the game,” she said. “We were all so tired, and it’s really hot out here, and I knew if I made it the game would be over, so I just kind of shot it and hoped it went in.”

Though Murray’s appreciation for delivering the first game-winning goal at Bedford High School was tempered, she said she recognizes she and five others have been inserted into a unique situation – sophomores taking on leadership duties usually reserved for upperclassmen.

“It’s like a new experience because last year I was one of the youngest (players at West) and now I’m one of the oldest, so I just have to encourage my teammates, and stay positive,” she said. “You can’t let down at all.”

Likewise, her coach, despite the dramatic victory, said her young team’s focus is on growth and development, not wins, at least for the time being.

“I don’t have any expectations,” said Winning. “As long as we’re playing hard and every game I see progression, I’m happy.

“It’s a great first step that lets us know we can do it and we can hang in there,” she continued. “We’re young, but when you’re on the field it doesn’t matter – freshman, junior, senior. It doesn’t really make a difference. It just matters how much focus and desire you have, and that’s what these kids showed today. They showed heart.”

Winning jumped at the chance to lead the high school’s first girls soccer team. She coached at West the last three years, including head coach of the varsity program in 2006.

“I live in Bedford. I grew up in this town. I have a lot of passion for this town, and this is where I want to be,” she said. “I love it here, and I’m very lucky to be here and to have this opportunity.”

Winning also credited Rebecca Gates, her assistant coach, for the team’s work ethic and early success.

Notes

Freshman goalkeeper Aubrey Ouellet tallied five saves as the Bedford defense kept the ball away from the net for most of the game.

In addition to Murray, the other sophomore players on the team are Sarah Kelley and Jean, who also played varsity at West last season, Brittany Gates, Sarah Sullivan and Sarah Hickman.